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Robinson Sentenced to 33 Months
While the nation focused on the testimony of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, bought-and-paid-for politician Oliver Robinson was sentence to 33 months in federal prison by Judge Abdul Kallon today at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Downtown Birmingham. Lauren Walsh of ABC 3340 reports that Robinson, in a moment of contrition, stated: My life has been about helping everyone, but in this case I failed. It is my prayer the residents of North Birmingham continue in their efforts to be placed on the national priority list. Again, my people in North Birmingham, my deepest apologies….I confessed my charges and…
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Balch’s Targeting of Black Children in Tarrant Detailed
No company with a social conscience should be using Balch & Bingham as their legal representatives. Why? Residents in North Birmingham, an area that is 92.5% African-American, believe that they and their children were alleged victims of the embattled law firm Balch & Bingham in the Oliver Robinson Bribery Scandal which suppressed African-Americans from having their toxic and contaminated property tested by the EPA. Handing out free coats to poor Black children to discourage EPA testing was one of the abhorrent acts spearheaded by Balch & Bingham’s convicted partner and criminal felon Joel I. Gilbert and other paid stooges. Why are…
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LMAO: Embarrassing Defense of Balch Backfires
The publication of a foolish defense of the Balch and Drummond’s indefensible conduct (targeting poor children in North Birmingham to discourage parents from testing their toxic and contaminated property ) has caused members of the legal community to either shake their heads in disgust or others to LMAO at the absurdity. The writer, Guy V. Martin Jr., has the audacity to write that Balch & Bingham “set a high bar for ethical standards others envy.” We’re sure no one, and we mean no one, envies Balch-made millionaire and long time Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert’s “high bar:” a six-count criminal…
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Balch, RICO, and “Terroristic Lawyering”
The headlines from Georgia in January were crushing: Federal Jury Finds Atlanta Lawyer Engaged in Civil Racketeering Georgia Lawyer Liable for Civil Racketeering in Child Custody Case Jury finds Millard Farmer engaged in civil racketeering And who won this civil RICO case? Buddy Parker, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, and renowned expert on civil RICO legal actions and money laundering. Parker is now representing Burt Newsome in his civil RICO action surrounding the conspiracy case allegedly spearheaded by a Balch & Bingham partner and relentlessly defended by Balch & Bingham in a corrupt and unconstitutional Star Chamber presided by Judge…
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Balch Reaches Out to CDLU
In August, Balch & Bingham met with a highly-respected RICO attorney (and former Assistant U.S. Attorney) representing Burt Newsome. What initially, we were told, was an effort to get the matter for all parties “behind them” ended up turning into an additional hour about us, the CDLU, and this website. The RICO attorney appears to have been blind-sided. He did not know much about us or details about the site, although he knew of the existence of the site. He agreed to reach out to us as an interlocutor. Balch was indeed seeking to settle the Newsome Conspiracy Case if…
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Path to Salvage Balch & Bingham
As we conclude the week, we, the CDLU, had a wonderful email exchange with a client of Balch & Bingham. Informing them that the NAACP suspended their Birmingham Chapter President for being one of the stooges in the Balch & Bingham/Drummond North Birmingham Bribery Case, we wrote If the NAACP can see a wrong, we ask, why can’t [Balch clients]? We asked, do Balch clients want to appear they are “condoning the institutional racism? The targeting of poor, black children? The suppression of African-Americans from having their toxic property tested?” Obviously not. And we let them know this is about…
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Balch Stooge Suspended by NAACP
In July, we wrote how Hezekiah Jackson, the president of the local NAACP Birmingham chapter, sold out the African-American community for cash. Balch & Bingham and Drummond Company’s criminal bribery scheme included a slew of “consultants” and other stooges that discouraged African-Americans in North Birmingham from testing their toxic property. While Balch & Bingham refuses to apologize for the appalling conduct of their convicted partner Joel I. Gilbert, the national NAACP is dealing swiftly with the situation. AL.com reports this evening: The NAACP has suspended the membership and leadership of beleaguered Birmingham chapter president Hezekiah Jackson, pending results of the…
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Balch versus Blacks and Blue-Collar Competitors
This post originally posted on February 6, 2018. Now with the aftermath of the conviction of Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert, we have updated the post in purple. We, the CDLU, continue to visit regularly with the North Birmingham community. The institutional racism in North Birmingham is real. With a population that is 92.5% African-American, the criminal actions by convicted Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert is repugnant. As we now have visited the neighborhoods in North Birmingham multiple times, we took a look at Mountain Brook, the elite enclave where many of Balch & Bingham’s partners…
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Devastating $250 Million Civil RICO Suit
Although Balch & Bingham would rather eat fried chicken legs than deal with the deplorable conduct the firm’s partners have allegedly engaged in, forced change is coming. A civil RICO lawsuit on behalf of Burt Newsome could be filed on the eve of the sentencing of bought-and-paid-for-politician Oliver Robinson later this month, and the RICO suit could be devastating. Just ask State Farm. As reported by Bloomberg yesterday: State Farm agreed to pay $250 million on the brink of a trial to customers who claimed the company tried to rig the Illinois justice system to wipe out a $1 billion…
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Are Smithermans Cooperating with Feds? Ronnlund Acts Under Review?
One of our sources claims that Judge Carole Smitherman and her husband State Senator Rodger Smitherman are allegedly quietly cooperating with federal investigators. We have also recently learned that Robert M. Ronnlund’s alleged acts of criminal obstruction of justice, alleged alteration of evidence, and what appears to be acts of perjury by Balch & Bingham and the co-conspirators in the Newsome Conspiracy Case are under review. Earlier this summer, we asked our high-level contacts at the U.S. Department of Justice to have someone specifically review the Newsome Conspiracy Case. Now with a car break-in and threatening package sent to the…
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Balch’s Disgraceful Publicity Stunts
Sometimes, like our readers, we do not know if we should laugh or cry when we see Balch & Bingham’s foolish actions. In their first highly-publicized event since Balch-made millionaire and now ex-partner/ghost-writer extraordinaire Joel I. Gilbert was convicted on all six federal counts, Balch engaged in their first public act as a firm. No it wasn’t a heartfelt apology to the North Birmingham African-American community nor an announcement that Balch was settling the Newsome Conspiracy Case. Balch & Bingham held a fried chicken legs competition, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Disgraceful! The public relations stunt shows how out of…
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Public Backlash: Balch & Bingham Tumbles in Lobbying Circles
According to the Center of Responsive Politics, Balch & Bingham appears to be down to only two well-paying lobbying clients in Washington, D.C. Looks like the dozens upon dozens of lobbying clients Balch used to have have dumped the embattled law firm into the outhouse. With the conviction of Balch-made millionaire and former esteemed partner Joel I. Gilbert, Balch & Bingham’s reputation appears to have tumbled in lobbying circles. And now comes the Birmingham Business Journal that reports the Balch & Bingham partner’s conviction on six federal charges including bribery and money laundering “could ultimately shape the way Birmingham’s corporate…
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Sessions, Balch, and the Silent Treatment
Balch & Bingham has lost most of their lobbying clients in Washington, D.C. and at least a dozen money-making attorneys or partners have left the firm. President Donald J. Trump has recently again shown anger and frustration towards U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for having recused himself from the Russian collusion probe on March 2, 2017. Now Politico.com reports that “once-loyal Alabama delegation gives Sessions the cold shoulder.” How could this be? The conviction of Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert who reviewed and edited then-U.S. Senator Sessions’ official letter to the EPA could be a top reason. Gilbert,…
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Tulotoma Snails Defeat Balch & Bingham, Alabama Power
Balch’s stigma of bribery and money laundering looks like it won’t go away anytime soon. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked all 7 licenses for Alabama Power to operate dams along the Coosa River, according to a report last night in the Montgomery Advertiser. And why were the licenses revoked? Because a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in July remanded the licensing matter to the regulators after finding that several endangered species, including the tulotoma snail, had been adversely impacted. The judges wrote the environmental assessment granting the original licenses was “arbitrary and capricious, insufficiently reasoned, and unsupported…
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Glaring Impunity: Balch’s Star Chamber Hits One-Year
Balch & Bingham has suffered serious damage because of Balch’s own, self-inflicted mistakes. Tomorrow marks the one-year birthday of the secretive and unconstitutional Star Chamber in the Newsome Conspiracy Case foolishly pursued by Balch & Bingham at the height of two-federal probes last year. We have heard from and read commentary from respected jurists to deans of the legal community in Alabama, from anonymous observers to victims of Balch’s shenanigans. The bottom-line: the Star Chamber truly was the dumbest and most damaging legal maneuver for Balch to have pursued in the past decade. Unlike Balch & Bingham partner Joel I.…
